Siskiyou 'Weed Country'

Friday

Feb 15, 2013 at 9:59 AMFeb 15, 2013 at 10:21 AM

The Discovery Channel has produced hits like Gold Rush, Deadliest Catch, American Choppers and Dirty Jobs. Later this month, the network will premiere a new series that puts the town of Weed and other cities in Siskiyou County directly in the spotlight.

Skye Kinkade and John Bowman

The Discovery Channel has produced hits like Gold Rush, Deadliest Catch, American Choppers and Dirty Jobs. Later this month, the network will premiere a new series that puts the town of Weed and other cities in Siskiyou County directly in the spotlight.

“Weed Country” is a six-part series that goes inside marijuana farms to document the battle between marijuana growers, dealers and authorities.It’s set to debut at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20.

One of the episodes, titled “The Town of Weed,” features Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey and Sgt. Mike Gilley, who is the commander of the county’s Marijuana Eradication Team. It was filmed in Weed in August and September of 2012.

Steve Mellon, a producer with Studio Lambert USA, Inc. appeared before the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors in June seeking approval of a contract between the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office and his company to follow the Sheriff and his deputies on enforcement operations. The contract included a $10,000 donation to the Sheriff’s department.

“We struck a deal with the Discovery Channel to do six one-hour episodes. Our objective was to give the world a look at Siskiyou and highlight the challenges of cartel grows. I think it’s an interesting, well done show that a lot of people will be interested to watch,” said Lopey.

During the supervisors meeting, several supervisors asked Mellon about possible editorial bias in the production of the shows. Mellon assured the board that his production would not approach the subject with any specific agenda. He reiterated that a “360 degree view is very important and what we want to focus on.”

Mellon said the production would feature two main aspects: the eradication of illegal grows and compliance checks of medical marijuana growers “who may be in compliance.”“We want to educate citizens about the public health and safety issues associated with the illegal marijuana industry,” Lopey told the Daily News after the meeting in June. “A lot of what the show will focus on in Siskiyou County is the big drug cartels that operate in our national forests and sometimes even on private land.” However, according to recent comments by the sheriff, that may not be how the show turned out.

Lopey commented recently, after reviewing the episodes, that he had hoped the show would deal more with cartel grows rather than medical marijuana, but he hopes the episodes “get some lessons through” about the detrimental environmental and social effects of marijuana.

Lopey said he’s seen the six episodes and feels the show is entertaining and interesting because it shows the perspectives of law enforcement and medical marijuana users and growers.

“We worked well with the producer, Bill Pruitt, and the cameramen ... I think the show portrays the beauty and terrain of Siskiyou County and portrays law enforcement fairly,” Lopey said.

According to information from the Discovery Channel, Weed Country “follows farmers working on the land deep in the border of Northern California and Oregon, known as the Emerald Triangle, who grow marijuana despite the risks involved – risks that can include up to 40 years in prison.”

The series also explores the issues concerning growing the plant for medicinal purposes, and the conflicting views regarding medical marijuana.

For a trailer of “The Town of Weed” episode, go to youtu.be/6ENPUVVcmvY.